382 
THE GARDENING WORLD, 
Mav 7, 1904. 
object-lessons—namely, ■where big clumps of Delphiniums (and 
this is the way to grow them) are-grown, some space should 
be allowed between them to sow Sweet Peas in April. Groups; 
of Cosmos; or Dahlias follow in other positions. Space should 
he allowed for Gladiolus of the free-flowering spotted types ; in 
others, Pentstemons, and that lovely Calceolaria amplexicaulis, 
gives a grand bit of pale lemon, colour and is easily wintered 
in cold pits 1 ; grown with spray sticks amongst it keeps it up. 
For the margin of beds and borders the dwarf French Mari¬ 
golds, dwarf Age ra,turn, Nemesias, dwarf Tropaeolums are 
very serviceable, to say nothing of Stocks, Asters, etc. The 
chief aim should be to give spaces between early-blooming 
things to- plant there to keep up the late; summer and autumn 
display. 
In separate beds, etc., the tiling- is. most easily managed. 
But in, this way frequently there is; bare earth part of the year. 
I could give many other illustrations of how hardy plants and 
annuals may be used in the garden did space permit. 
Chard. 
The Zinnia : Some Difficulties of Culture. 
There are to be met with every year those who. sow seed of 
Zinnias only 'to find their efforts yielding disappointment, and 
I often chat, with people who tell me that, although they like 
the annuals, they have had such little success; that they have 
been, forced to give up attempting their culture, 
I acjinit that they are somewhat, delicate, but, am of opinion 
that if a little extra attention is given in the early stages one 
half of the failures might be avoided. I therefore ask the 
consideration of those who., having sown seed, have up. to the 
present had nothing but, failure to record. In the first place, 
then, soil should consist, of old loam, leaf-mould, and coarse 
silver sand, the whole being passed through a sieve, the 
roughest, portion being placed over a few crocks at, the bottom 
oi the seed-pan; this will ensure good drainage. Sowing 
should take, place; in March or April—I have; sown as late as 
May and had a, good show of bloom in August—the seeds being 
scattered thinly on the surface, and then just covered with soil, 
the pans afterwards, being- placed in bottom heat, where they 
should be kept, until the seedlings have- .got, into their second 
leaf. When they are large enough to> shift, transfer each singly 
to pots, using the same kind of soil, taking care to disturb the 
roots as little as possible, and when they are planted out, of 
doors seeing that the; roots are; not then interfered with. 
Where failure® occur is in, the shifting of the plants ayd treat¬ 
ing them like; other annuals, but, Zinnias; require something 
more; than this. The handling a Stock or Aster will stand will 
not, do for these tender plants. A little- extra heat at the begin¬ 
ning and care, in removal at all times will, as a rule, overcome 
the difficulties. They are worth the trouble, when, we remember 
that they are most showy and last in bloom for weeks together. 
W. F. 
To Hide Unsightly Walls in Glasshouses. 
In going through a few gardens one sometimes observes, in 
lean-to- glasshouses, more; especially in moist houses, walls, 
giving a dirty appearance to. an otherwise clean place by being 
covered with green,. In, some cases this; is remedied by build- 
ins’ a rockwork. The following is, however, a, decidedly better 
system. At, about, G in. from the wall, the face of which has. 
been cemented over, fix perpendicular iron standards 2 ft, apart, 
in. which holes have been, drilled 1 ft. from each other. These 
will run from the- floor to. the; top- of the wall. Through the 
hole® run, wire—fencing wire will do-—horizontally, and parallel 
to. each other. Next take common rabbit netting. Put, one 
length along the bottom and fix to the standards and cross 
wires. Then pack between, this structure and the wall rough 
loam, peat and a, little sand previously mixed up. Then place 
another piece of wire; netting above, it and insert soil in, the; 
same, manner as described above, continuing the process; till 
the; top is reached. 
Wliat to plant is the next consideration. This must he 
settled by the gardener’s own taste and the temperature of the 
house. Take, for instance, a cool place, such as the. Odonto- 
glossum house. Nothing can excel the beautiful Begonia Rex 
on a groundwork of Selaginella, The stems being susceptible 
to hang down makes this magnificent specimen the. more wel¬ 
come. Various Ferns, Adiantums, Athyriums, Scolopendriums. 
Polypodiums., and Pterises may be used to- advantage. In 
order to plant large plants, slits null need to be cut in the 
netting; but the best way is to put in young plants and cut¬ 
tings (of Selaginella s) which soon grow up- and furnish the 
whole wall in, a very short time. A top-dressing is beneficial 
once a, year. It is easily done, though, taking some time, by 
picking out with a pointed piece; of iron, the old surface soil 
and pressing in fresh loam and peat with the hands. 
The; whole can either be watered at once or a part only if 
desired, by fixing a lead water pipe; attached to- any of the 
main pipes; near by along the top of the wall and having small 
apertures bored in it to allow the water to run from top evenly 
downwards. This pipe will be in divisions, each division 
having a, supply pipe of its own, so- that a single part may be 
watered at one time. 
Plants; grown- in this manner are certainly more vigorous 
than when, in, a rockwork. The soil retains the moisture much 
longer, and therefore less water is required. 
I might .say more. In cases where the above described 
screen is used it attracts more attention than the more im¬ 
portant plants in the houses. J. P. Dickson. 
Pegs versus Raffia for Layering Strawberries. 
Permit me to make a few remarks; on the subject of pegs v. 
raffia for layering Strawberries, I have read articles on the 
matter in recent issues of the “ G.W.,” so- that I have been 
tempted to offer my opinion. It, may he regarded by many 
that it is a matter of opinion as to which way is the; best. At 
any rate, gardeners are aware that various and many are the 
methods employed to, achieve a, certain purpose. I have, during 
my experience; layered some thousands of Strawberries; and I 
find that pegs a,re the most suitable in the long run. Of course, 
they take longer to make, whereas hundreds of strands; of raffia 
can be prepared in-a few minutes, My method is simply this: 
Procure a bundle of laths, such as carpenters use in house¬ 
building, let them steep in water for an hour or two so- that 
they become pliable, then, take; out a lath at a time and cut 
it in, lengths, of about 3 in. long; then with a knife slice up 
these lengths in pieces; about, the thickness of an, ordinary 
wooden, match and bend them in the form of a staple. Oftener 
than not they will crack, but that, will not matter if they do 
not break apart,. To one; unaccustomed to this method it is 
at first a slow process, but, it is surprising how soon one can 
learn to make them quickly. This may be done when weather 
conditions do, not, permit, of work being done outside. They 
can then be stored away till the time comes to use, them. 
When layering,-the practice usually adopted by private growers 
is to, place a, sufficient number of 3-in. pots filled with loam 
between every second row of Strawberries and the layers placed 
one in each pot. Few articles are more useful for holding the 
pegs while at work than a 5-in, or 6-in. pot. Bend a peg, and 
with both ends- of it, make a niche in, the soil previous to fixing 
the runner. This will ensure the runner being kept down 
close to, the soil. This method I have found to be quicker than 
usins’ raffia, which has to be twisted or tied before being 
finally pushed in with a dibber. ■ J. C. Gillies. 
Prize Cards and Exhibits.— In photographing your pet 
novelty or seedling, always remember that you add nothing to 
its value in the eyes of others by sticking a big prize card up 
against it, but, that you do evince very bad taste, as would 
a man who should decorate himself with trinkets when 
“getting his picture took.”—“The American Florist.” 
